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Viva LAS VEGAS (just not the one you know)

Vegas is all about losing your money in the casino and drinking cocktails from plastic flamingo cups, right? Well, not quite: head downtown for a refreshingly different take on America’s entertainment capital

Words Tim Heap

It’s often said that there are two types of people in the world: Britney or Christina (Christina, FYI), Marmitelover or hater (), top or bottom (umm, *blushes*). Less common but no less divisive — or so I thought — is Las Vegas: you either imagine it as a paradise adult’s playground, with endless cocktails, slot machines and sun, or it’s capitalism on steroids, designed to gradually empty your bank account.

I’d always maintained that while I’d visit the entertainment capital out of (not quite morbid) curiosity, if I was nearby or had the chance, it wasn’t high on my bucket list. Well, earlier this summer, that chance materialised when the Las Vegas Tourist Board invited Attitude to explore a lesser-known side of the city: the downtown area, centred around Fremont Street.

These days, much of Vegas’ offerings focus on The Strip — a four-mile stretch of boulevard lined with gigantic resort hotels and casinos — but, historically, the epicentre of the action was in the Fremont St district.